The Queen, Her Legacy
As we reflect on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II I took some time out this week to reflect on her legacy and the baton that she passes on to us.
On a number of occasions this past week I have heard the speech the Queen gave when she was 21 years old. It was a speech which bore the mark of maturity which clearly guided her whole life.
Her words speak louder than anything we can say.
“If we all go forward together with an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart, we shall be able to make of this ancient commonwealth, which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing – more free, more prosperous, more happy and a more powerful influence for good in the world – than it has been in the greatest days of our forefathers.
To accomplish that we must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves. There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors – a noble motto, “I serve”… I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service…”
The Bible clearly communicates that ‘beauty can emerge from ashes.’ As The Queens baton is passed onto this generation, may her legacy be that we walk with the same courage, humility, integrity and grace.
I truly believe that The Queen has been a gift to our nation, binding us together as part of her legacy. The second Elizabethan era has been a time where culture and society have changed beyond recognition. In the shaking and polarisation all around, she has been constant and unified us.
The Queen has shown leadership through service. A role model, she has shown the same ethos that guides the lives of heroes across society – from the teacher who calls out the best in a young child who has never heard encouragement to the hospice worker who sits every day with the dying. Duty, service and responsibility may feel outmoded, but these virtues are the root of our prosperity.
As the years have passed, I have realised more and more, that it has been no small thing to have had a head of state who saw their role to be ‘one who serves.’ Institutional trust, so fundamental to the flourishing of society, relies on leaders of character being held in high honour by the people. The Queens unique constitutional position could have been a burden, but she has walked with unflappable dignity, grace and courage. From the cold war through to covid, she led with courage in crisis after crisis.
The Queen consistently lifted our vision higher. With public discourse so often concerned with the next crisis or scandal, she stood above the fray.
As the flame passes onto us, we must remember the core foundational principles which made her such a remarkable woman. She believed that the British nation could be a light in the nations and contribute positively to the world. She privately and publicly modelled her life on the example of Jesus and saw the future through the lens of eternal hope.
May the words she delivered during the recent pandemic, words which reflected her core driving convictions, carry us in the next season: “As dark as death can be — particularly for those suffering with grief — light and life are greater.”
This moment continues to be time to remember and celebrate the legacy of a woman who has given us all so much. As part of the wider church, may we pick up the baton she has carried, and may her legacy be that we walk with the same courage, humility, integrity and grace. Above all else, may we too keep our eyes fixed on the Servant King as we serve those that are around us.
